Validation of the Romanian Version of the Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form (SMAS-SF) Among Undergraduate Medical Students

Abstract

Purpose: Internet addiction is a recently recognized condition that has been linked to decreased academic performance, clinical symptoms of depression or anxiety, alongside decreased empathy levels. This study examined the validity and reliability of “the Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form (SMAS-SF)”. Patients and Methods: The final Romanian version of the questionnaire was tested in a focus group for the understandability of each question. For confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, a sample of 649 students was recruited. A subsample of 67 undergraduate students was used to measure reliability by Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: A 2-step confirmatory factor analysis was used and 4 factors emerged, similar to the original questionnaire: virtual tolerance, virtual problems, virtual information, and virtual communication, showing acceptable levels of fit. The structural equation modeling measured the structural relationship between measured variables and latent constructs and acknowledged that the 4-factor model had satisfactory levels for comparative fit index (0.916) and Tucker–Lewis index (0.897), root mean square error of approximation (0.062, with 95% CI between 0.055–0.069), and standardized root mean square residual (0.053). Values of Cronbach's alpha = 0.817 and ICC = 0.829 for the overall 16 item questionnaire were acceptable. Conclusion: The Romanian version of the SMAS-SF is a reliable and valid tool to measure social media addiction among undergraduate medical students that may be further used in subsequent research.